Just my random thoughts on a Monday morning after watching a weekend of March Madness:

1. Do one-and-done players attend class in the spring semester? If they are headed to the NBA then why waste time going to class. Maybe they are encouraged to go to class because of the APR ramifications. I don't know.

2. Why do coaches get academic bonuses for graduation rates? Why are we giving them a bonus to do something they should be doing anyway? Or are we admitting that we don't expect...

Football and basketball coaches across the country at all levels put in countless hours watching film, running practices, supervising strength and conditioning workouts, and scouting their opponents, all in an effort to give their team a competitive advantage. However, at some point coaches reach a level of diminishing returns. Meaning that after a certain point there is generally not a correlation between preparation time and performance.

Earlier this year Urban85 conducted a workshop with Athletic Director, Jeff Johnson, and the athletic directors and head coaches with Dallas Independent School District.Urban85 has committed to incorporate its program at the High School level in order to increase the number of student athletes, particularly black male student athletes, who are prepared to attend college.

Some of the country's best players and coaches are in Dallas ISD High Schools and we could not pass up an opportunity...

Within the past two weeks or so we've seen several more cases of off-the-field problems involving black male athletes. Most recently, LSU had two starters suspended for allegedly failing a drug test.

When these problems hit the news I immediately work my contacts and ask "does this guy have a father in his life." Often, the answer comes back "No." One of the common themes of young men who have off-the-field problems is that they grew up fatherless.

When engaging the Black Male athlete we can no longer use the one-size-fits-all approach. While many black males have similar experiences, I have come to the realization that there are six distinct black male athlete personality types. Use this guide to help you as you help these boys become men.

The Myron Rolle’s: Just gets it. Understands the value of education. Will be an academic all-American as well as first-team all American on the field. A leader.

In countless conversations with athletic directors, coaches, academic staff, and support staff, the subject of the Black Male Student-Athlete (BMSA) is inveitably raised. No one can deny the fact that some of our Black Male Student-Athletes bring unique challenges to campus. We can no longer ignore the issue. We must be proactive in meeting these challenges by creating effective support structures that allow them to succeed both on and off the field.

Many Black Male Student Athletes enter college with one goal: to get to the NFL or the NBA. While this may indeed be their goal many of them have also had this expectation placed upon them by well-meaning family, friends, and the media. The expectations to go pro are so overwhelming that for some anything short of a career in the NFL or the NBA means that they have failed. “What if you get a degree and start a career, is that still failure,” I asked one brotha. “Doc, I...

Urban85 is a group of social architects that partner with educational institutions to meet the needs of black males, with a particular focus on Black Male Student-Athletes (BMSA). Dr. Leonard Moore created the vision of Urban85 from his work with BMSA’s while a graduate student at Ohio State from 1994-1998, and then as a professor at LSU from 1998-2007. Dr. Moore has been at the The University of Texas at Austin since 2007, where he has mentored Black athletes from...